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Walks ยท one sitting, about 7 min

The part that does not believe in this

For the part that doubts this whole thing. It is worth meeting, not beating: find it, ask whether its worry is real or a cover, hear it out, and give its doubt a job for after.

8 steps, drawn from 14 books on IFS.

A draft: every passage it quotes is in its book, but its own wording has not yet been checked against them.

Read every step first
  1. Doubt is a part too. A part of you may not believe in any of this. That is allowed here. This walk does not try to talk it round. It goes to meet it.
  2. Settle. Sit or lie however suits you, eyes open or closed. If breathing helps today, breathe slowly into your belly a few times, then let it be. If not, skip it.
  3. Who is doubting? Ask inside whether a part does not believe in this. Notice where you feel it in or around your body, and what it says. Wait and see what comes. A flat, dry voice counts.
  4. How do you feel toward it? Before you offer it anything, check how you feel toward it. Your breath may give you a clue: easy, or caught. Answer with what is true rather than what sounds right.
  5. A real worry, or a cover? Ask the doubter which it is, and let it answer in its own way. It may have a real concern about whether this works, or about how it is going right now. Or it may be worried about where this leads, and use doubt to stop it.
  6. Let it say it. Listen to what it says, and tell it you are listening. You do not have to agree. Then ask what it would need to see before it could trust this. Some parts come round when they see it happen.
  7. Doubt in its place. Its doubt is useful for judging afterwards, whether the work helped. Ask the doubter whether it would sit back while you do this, and weigh in afterwards.
  8. Before you go. Thank any part that came forward or made room, if that feels true. If you mean to come back, tell them so. When you are ready, come back to the room: feel your feet and look around.
  9. Then both can sit up front. Then the one that reacted can come and sit up front as well. Neither has to leave. You will offer the breath to whichever of them wants it.
  10. Thank it for guarding. Let it know you see that it is looking out for you, and that nothing here heads anywhere you are not ready for. That may be plenty for one sitting.
  11. Ask the other part for some room. Turn toward the part that has strong feelings about the first one. Ask if it would give you a little room for a few minutes. It does not have to leave. If it worries the first part will take over, let it know you will keep things steady.